The Ashes of Aincrad
by Indefinite Arrow
Summary: After the events of Aincrad and Alfheim, Kirito and Asuna live their lives with ease. Broken up into three parts, the adventures of the duo in the real world. Rated M for future chapters. {KiritoxAsuna.}


_*Before we begin, I'd like to take a moment to say that I do not own Sword Art Online or any other characters used in this piece of fanfiction. While the idea of owning anime/manga/light novels sounds pretty cool, I'm not up to that particular task. Thank you for your consideration.*_

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><p><em>"<em>_If we make it back to the real world, I'll find you again. And fall in love with you again."_

_xxx_

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><p>The day, Kazuto decided, was one of neverending happiness.<p>

He had found Asuna. Against all odds, he found his chestnut haired beauty and was able to touch her milky skin. He was able to appreciate her hazel eyes, and was able to take in her frail features. Even though they were in a hospital, when he first saw her, Kazuto was afraid if he touched her, she'd shatter. She was everything. He had painted her on a pedestal, crafted her from glass, and admired her for everything she was worth. Which was more than Kazuto could ever hope to put into words.

And now, staring at the blank piece of paper, he was still at a loss for words.

Proposing to Asuna in the virtual world had been easy, and actually marrying her was even easier. When it came to reality, no amount of language classes or practice of charisma could assist him with his dilemma. Sure, they had proclaimed their love for each other many times before, but this was, without a doubt, dreadfully different. Even now, at the age he was, he found himself fumbling over words just as he did when he first met Asuna Yuuki. There was no way he'd be able to ever think of an appropriate way to formulate his love for her into words, not like this. So he tossed the paper aside, flew from his desk, and promptly left his apartment he shared with Klein. He was so anxious, he forgot a coat.

He stopped by the flower shop on the way to her house—all women loved flowers, or so Klein claimed—and decided upon a bouquet of perfect red roses. Unlike his teenage years, his new job with the virtual intelligence branch of government hardly left him strapped for cash. Nowadays, he wanted to spoil Asuna relentlessly, so a small boquet was nothing really, but it would have to do.

When he reached the home Asuna shared with her parents, the box that had felt so light before managed to feel ten times heavier. Shaking, he slowly knocked on the door, slightly relieved when her mother answered. Upon seeing him, shaken and with flowers in hand, a wide smile spread across her face. "It's about time, kid." She whispered to him, dragging him into their home. She let go of him to go search for her daughter, and came back in record time. "She's in the garden, darling. Do take your time with it, but not too long. You've kept us waiting for quite some time." Her chuckle set Kazuto's nerves on fire, but made him feel a bit better about the whole ordeal. He nodded and made his way down the familiar hallway that head had been down many times before—with and without Asuna's parental consent—finally finding his way to the garden.

Surely enough his beautiful girlfriend was there, watching the sunset mercifully on a mild autumn day. Her hair swayed ever so slightly in the light October breeze, and Kazuto briefly wondered why she wasn't wearing something warmer in the chilly autumn air. She was turned away from him, and hadn't heard him yet. She seemed to be tugging at the edge of her white blouse, an indicator that something was on her mind. Kazuto cleared his throat to grab her attention before reaching her, causing her to jump and spin around to face him. The sudden reaction had caused her hair to travel with her and settle on her back, giving Kazuto a plentiful whiff of her perfume. It was a cross of vanilla and honeysuckle, the same she'd always worn. The same way she'd smelled back when they first met. Despite the cold atmosphere, Asuna seemed happy to see him.

"Kazuto," She said, her words rolling off her tongue like honey. "I've missed you."

Kazuto smiled, "You saw me yesterday."

Asuna threw her arms around him, warming his cold body. "Every minute away from you feels like an eternity!"

Kazuto leaned forward to kiss her head before fully embracing her, albeit a bit awkwardly with the flowers in his hand. The feeling of her petite frame against his firm one was something he was not quite ready to part with, but he unwrapped himself from her anyways. "Asuna, these are for you," he said, placing the flowers in her hands. Before he had a chance to continue, his girlfriend squealed in delight.

"Oh, Kir-Kazuto, these are perfect! I'll go find a vase to put these in, I'll be right ba-"

Kazuto grabbed her wrist before she could leave, causing a look of confusion to spread across her delicate features. "Kazuto?"

"Asuna, you know that I love you. I love you more than I fully understand." He stared into the neverending hazel pools that held the soul that he adored. "These past few years have been amazing, better than our time together...back then..." He lowered his eyes when he mentioned their brief, but lovely marriage back in a deadly, virtual world. Sensing his distress, Asuna took his hand, encouraging him to continue. "And I just... I can't bear to be apart from you. I want to spend this life with you, the next life with you, and whatever comes after that with you. I want to wake up next to you, take care of you, and I want to cherish you until the very day that I part from this world."

"Kirito..." Asuna whispered, his old nickname dancing on her lips. She was the only one who was still allowed to call him that, the only thing remaining from Sword Art Online. The place where he had met the angel in front of him. Her slender fingers wrapped themselves tighter against his. "Are... are you..."

Kazuto took that moment to drop to one knee in front of her, one hand in hers, the other in his pocket. "I was lost before I met you, Asuna. My life, my existence, it's all because of you. I am here because you guided me." The box materialized in his hand, pulling the lid off and revealing a shiny, diamond ring inside. "Asuna, will you continue to guide me? Will you marry me?"

Kazuto thought his heart was going to leap out of his chest. He could hardly steady his hands enough to continue to hold on to the box. Thankfully, Asuna gave him a very quick answer.

"Are you serious? Of course I'll marry you! Of course I will!" Tears of joy ran down her face as she tackled him into the well manicured grass. Her body shook on top of him as she laughed, her skin glowing with excitement. Kazuto smiled, wrapping his arms around her, trying to comprehend if this was real or not. When their joy subsided, Asuna rolled over, her hand still entwined with her fiancee's.

"I promised that I'd find you, and that I'd fall in love with you again." She breathed, facing him. "I love you."

In that moment, it was as if everything had fell into place. The sky seemed clearer, the air seemed lighter, and the air seemed warmer. Kazuto knew, in that moment, that he had achieved all that he had strived for, and this moment, this exact moment, was the reason why he had put on the Nerve Gear that fateful day all those years ago. Asuna was the reason.

Kazuto smiled, pulling his lover closer to him. "I love you, too."

xxx

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><p><em>Thank you for taking time to read this! It's my first contribution to the SAO fandom, and I don't plan on it being my last. I love these two and I can't wait to write the next two parts to their little love story.<em>


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